50 miles, 5000 feet of climbing, as many dirt roads as possible.

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50 miles, 5000 feet of climbing. No entry fees, no support. You are on your own. This is an individual bike ride, with a recommended course that includes roadways open to traffic. There are long sections of road and some large intersections. Follow all traffic laws. Stop at red lights and stop signs. Signal turns. Be respectful of pedestrians, especially on shared use paths. There will be loose gravel and dirt sections. This will be hard. Ride at your own risk. You might want a Plan B.

For Contenders: Do you think you have a shot at the belt? Put your name on a white notecard and drop it in the entry box. Starting order for Top Contenders will be determined by a random draw, with the first 30 riders leaving at 20 second intervals. Race in only bibs or otherwise have a wrestling outfit that impresses the judges and jump to the front of the line. All others will start as a group. This is the Royal Rumball.

For those just riding along: Look over the cue sheet, find some friends to ride with. You will start after the Contenders.

Intercontinental Rumball Title: Eat a rumball, get your card punched. Rumballs are available at the start, at the Emerling Park water stop at mile 15.4, and at the city water stop at 3906 Liberty Ave at mile 33. Rumballs may run out, checkpoints may close. The rider who completes the course within 133% of the time of the overall winner and has consumed the most rumballs in the process will win the Intercontinental Rumball Title. Rumballs contain rum, you must be 21+ to vie for the Intercontinental Rumball Title.

Highland Park is not the start, just the meeting place. We will proceed as a neutral group over the Highland Park Bridge to the starting point at approx mile 4.5 of the cue sheet. At Squaw Valley Park we will break into groups and start.

Follow the course! Cheating is recommended in wrestling, but not at The Royal Rumball.

Caution! – Mile 7.8. Wise Rd. There is a gate at both the top and bottom of the road. Passage is very narrow. Be prepared to stop at bottom of hill! Gate approaches without warning! Mile 9.0. Campbells Run Rd. This road is closed after a short distance, proceed around metal gate and onto closed portion of road. Roughly one mile in road is blocked by cement barriers, with large gate on left. Continue on path through cement barriers, road gets more rugged and heads uphill to reach pavement and Fox Chapel Rd. There is a quick right and immediate left to continue on Fox Chapel Rd. Mile 11. Very tight righthand hairpin turn onto Old Mill Rd. This is gravel. Mile 13.1. At intersection with 910, go straight across road onto dirt footpath that connects to McClellan Rd. Pretty obvious. Mile 21.6 Be careful cross Rt 8! Heavy traffic. Mile 28 Connect to trail under 62nd St Bridge in Etna. Follow your nose from Bridge St, cross tracks, follow trail towards city. Mile 38.5. Enter Frick Park Nine Mile Run Trail via Allenby Ave behind building just before Braddock Ave and the Parkway meet. Mile 38.9 Careful crossing Commercial Ave. Fast traffic! Mile 40.2 Be careful of bollards on bridge!

50 miles, 5000 feet of climbing. Think dirt roads leading past a giant pet cemetery, hopping a barrier for a choice section of abandoned asphalt and all the rumballs you care to eat (or not). The winner gets a wrestling belt, and will be expected to defend their title or give up the belt to new contenders at a to-be-announced future event.

The Royal Rumball is a wrestling themed, mixed surface alleycat-like bike ride that will take riders deep into the North Hills of Pittsburgh, hitting as many rough, dirt and abandoned roads as possible. The route features a split of open suburban roadways and lesser used dirt roads, along with a few sections of particularly rough abandoned roads. While every effort has been made to avoid fast and high traffic roadways, given the nature of our road system you will at points be sharing the road with traffic and crossing local highways. There are significant road miles. It is in your best interest to follow all traffic laws, look both ways and enjoy the ride safely.

The ride is meant for and will be accomplished in the fastest time on road or cyclocross bikes with large volume tires, but all bikes are welcome. This is a self supported ride, you should bring tools to fix flat tires and keep your bike rolling, and a Plan B if something goes awry.

You’re on your own with this one, liable for your own actions. We will provide a detailed cue sheet with maps and turn-by-turn directions noting water stops and convenient bail-out points. Everything else is your responsibility.

Meet at the Highland Park Entry Garden on Sunday August 11th 2013 at 11 am. At 11:30 am we will ride as a neutral group to the starting point outside of town. As in the Royal Rumble, top contenders will begin with a random staggered start. Long shots looking for a title grab and those just in it for the ride will follow. Ride in nothing but bib-shorts and get a top starting position. Championship Belts will be awarded to the top male and top female contenders. A bonus race within a race will vie for the Intercontinental Rumball Title.

No registration, no entry fees. We’ll gather to share a few drinks and award the belts in Lawrenceville in the early evening.